Rapid Advance of Assad's Opponents Towards Homs Following Capture of Deir ez-Zor and Al-Bukamal

Syrian opposition forces announced on Friday, December 7, that after capturing the city of Deir ez-Zor and the Al-Bukamal border crossing, they have reached the central city of Homs as part of their extensive advance. According to Reuters, Assad's opposition groups stated in a message on Telegram: 'Our forces have liberated the last village in the outskirts of Homs and have now reached the walls of this city.' At the same time, the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group called on Assad's loyal forces in Homs to join the opposition. Homs is a long-standing stronghold of the Alawite minority loyal to Assad and hosts Russian naval and air bases; its capture would sever the communication route between Damascus and the coast. Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported that the army, with the support of Russian air forces, has conducted operations in the outskirts of Homs, killing dozens of government opponents. These developments, referred to as 'Bashar al-Assad's defeat,' coincide with a U.S.-backed coalition led by Syrian Kurdish forces taking control of Deir ez-Zor city. This city has been one of the most important strongholds of Assad's government in the vast eastern Syrian desert. On December 7, Reuters confirmed the capture of Deir ez-Zor city in eastern Syria by the coalition led by Kurdish fighters opposed to Bashar al-Assad and supported by the United States, citing three Syrian sources. The news agency also reported that the Syrian Democratic Forces have captured the Al-Bukamal crossing at the Syrian-Iraqi border. Deir ez-Zor is the third Syrian city after Aleppo and Hama to fall to Assad's opponents within a week. At the same time, some unconfirmed reports suggest the exit of Bashar al-Assad's family from Syria. The Wall Street Journal, citing Syrian security officials, reported that Bashar al-Assad is still in Syria, but his wife and children went to Russia last week, and his wife's brothers went to the United Arab Emirates.